Although I may have touched on this idea in past entries, I don't think I've ever developed it in this light. As the prequel trilogy events unfold, I'm struck by how many different voices Anakin is listening to, which seem to tug him in different directions. The Jedi Order preaches discipline and restraint, Palpatine preaches letting your emotions run wild and giving into them at every opportunity, and Anakin's feelings for Padme inject love into the whole equation, thus really conflicting the poor kid.

Ultimately, in life we also hear different voices telling us what to do and which path to take. The great key for us is to focus on the voice that is truly acting in our best interests in telling us what to do. In Anakin's case, he continued to listen to the dark voices, thus leading him to make decisions he would come to regret. Ultimately, he failed to learn from those decisions thus coming to have the voice he listened to haunt him for the rest of his life. The sad part is how he failed to learn from the decisions he made. Slaughtering the Tuskens didn't give him the power to raise the dead, but he failed to recognize that giving into darkness does not grant one greater power when seeking to save the life of your wife.

The tragedy here is that Padme's voice was one of compassion. Despite her choice to either ignore, overlook, or believe that she could save Anakin, Padme still wanted what was best for him. She truly loved him, and even as she felt powerless to stop him from running full speed with no thought whatsoever about what he was doing into the lava shores of Mustafar, that didn't stop her from pleading with him to make the right decision.

As often happens, especially in Star Wars, history repeats itself. When we finally see Luke again, he is much like his father, right down to the conflicting voices competing for his attention. And like Anakin, Luke makes some questionable decisions. Despite warnings from Yoda, he takes his lightsaber into the cave. He runs off to help his friends, headfirst into the trap Vader has set for him. Ill prepared to face a Dark Lord of the Sith, Luke gets his clock cleaned and learns a horrifying truth. His worldview shaken however, Luke listens to the voice of his trusted friends. He may have made a mistake in rushing off to face Vader, but he's not going to compound it.

And from this experience, a new voice emerges, one that tells Luke there is still good in his father. One that helps Luke to believe in the good man that his father once was. And the second time Luke faces Vader, he is better prepared. He still makes mistakes as he gives in to Palpatine's goading, but with wisdom born of experience, Luke chooses not to listen to Palpatine when the final decision presents itself. Learning from his mistakes, passing through the trials and tribulations have taught Luke to trust the one voice that truly wants what is best for him. So he throws aside his lightsaber and shows compassion to his father. In so doing, Luke offers Vader one last chance to listen to the voice that truly loves him and wants what is best for him. And so Vader at long last, listens to the voice of love and compassion, rises up and throws off the dark chains that have bound him all these long years and again feels the Light of the Force in his life.